Hello, Due to an extreme virus situation, I decided to do a clean install of XP. When I started the disk and performed install, when it prompts for the product key, I enter it and it says it's not valid...I looked in the registry where it should be and did not see it. Thanks to this board, I searched and found a program that read the p-key, and sure enough, it's the exact key I was originally trying to use. So I AM using the correct p-key....What gives? I am willing to do what ever it takes to get a clean install of XP back on this PC. Any help would be greatly appreciated. On a side note, yes I have ran CWS Shredder, Adaware SE, and Spybot S&D, they have been invaluable in the past, but this time I think I have a version of CWS that is on steroids, because it laughs at all of them! Adaware shows all occurances of it, but it's like Adaware has been disabled, after you check all objects(that you want to remove or quarrentine)it just sits dead, without response. Again, thanks in advance, DM

where did you get that disc from? Is it the one that came with the pc or did you borrow it from a friend? Also what program did you get that could read the product key after it was formated and xp was reinstalled over it. The biggest issue is that your activation code is not matching your installation disc. If it was an upgrade originnaly then you must use an upgrade install disc to match the activation code. As for most programs that retrieve product codes like you describe should also come with a notation that the code it brings up maybe a manufactrer key and not a true activation code. Also it could be that you got that system from somewhere that used a stolem license and it has been locked out. You just might be better off getting a new license and matching disc. IN THE MATTERS OF STYLE, swim with the current; in matters of principle, STAND LIKE A ROCK

Slightly puzzled ? If you are doing a clean install which is failing at the XP key stage how did you run a programme to find it ? Did I miss something ?

No you didn't. If he has a registry to look in then he did NOT do a clean install but rather a "dirty" re-install. Jimi_l

this has happened to a few people i know, your product key is right but it doesn't work, the only thing you can do is call microsoft. thats what the others did and it worked out.

Thanks, yes the xp disc I have is one from a friend. I used it when I converted this machine from 98 to XP--It worked fine. As far as finding the ProductKey, I used this http://www.magicaljellybean.com/keyfinder.shtml The reason everything is still accessable is I have not got to the point where anything has been re-formated. I set the bios to boot on D: put my disk in(while booted up and running as norm) and select new install, advaced(full install) and then I accept the terms, then the ProductKey page, here is where it rejects my code. I DID manage to clean *most* of the bad seeds off of my system. I had to re-download Adaware as somehow it got corrupted....There is still a sysbi32.exe file that is wreaking havoc....I don't trust this system now though, and really want to start fresh. Thanks again for any advise, DM

I think we all thought you were ! On our headstones we'll have two dates, it's what we do with the dash between that counts.